Material broadcast spreaders are used to distribute granular materials such as fertilizer, seed, and ice melting compounds to a ground surface. Generally speaking, the spreader may include a hopper that delivers the granular material to a rotating spinner, the latter which then broadcasts or “slings” the material outwardly where it ultimately settles upon the ground surface.
Manual broadcast spreaders are pushed or pulled over the ground surface by a walk-behind operator, or by a tow vehicle. Typically, these spreaders include ground-engaging support wheels that are operatively connected to the spinner such that rotation of the support wheels results in corresponding rotation of the spinner.
However, other broadcast spreaders (e.g., vehicle mounted spreaders) may be powered, e.g., include a motor that rotates the spinner during spreader operation. Such powered spreaders are popular among landscape contractors and other turf professionals as they are well-suited to all-day usage, and may further offer improved control over material distribution (as compared to manual spreaders).
Some powered spreaders position the motor outside the hopper (e.g., below the spinner). However, such a configuration requires a spreader design that provides sufficient space to accommodate the motor. To minimize this space requirement, other spreaders may locate the motor within the hopper itself. However, hopper-contained motors may present other drawbacks including, for example: excessive exposure of the motor to the potentially corrosive material contained within the hopper; and limited availability of cooling air flow.